The mine entrance erupted louder than a megaton missile. Migrating birds overhead and roosting in the undergrowth, crapped themselves. Some died of shock, others flew into oncoming
cliffs with a nasty thud. Kangaroos and possums scattered for cover. It was still a hot summers day in the baked plains. A lone man strode into his wooden shack and supped some of
his hard gin. He tried to forget his dilemma and checked out his sheep.

A visit was due from Angus Keegan, to collect the months fleeces for $50. And to drop off the usual goods. Tins of corn beef, crackers and whiskey. A months supply was enough to
live on. Sometimes Angus would bring new clothing. Pyjamas or shirts and pants. Boots too when worn out. News was on the radio every day, so news of rumours and deaths were
the common talks. Or new outback laws for keeping sheep and livestock.

As Callan scattered feed of oats for his ten sheep, he noticed more strange footprints. These were inside the big pen. The sheep had been sheared and ushered by didgeridoo. The
tone stopped as the old man pulled his grey with dust denims up. They matched his denim shirt and black monkey boots. ‘Damn and blast,’ he cussed to himself. What the hell is
that, worded his mind.

The sheep bleated ignorantly. stuffing their faces in oats or water trough. A scattering of dry grass was also available on the outback menu. Most Australian sheep were resilient
and had learnt to eat the right stuff. Then all at once, they stopped eating and baaing. Something massive was in the same pen. It was standing fifty feet away. Near a clump
of thorny bushes. The stranger was also noticed by Callan Briggs.

Sheer terror filled his senses. It could be discerned that the wire fence had been squashed by this huge mass of something. It trudged slowly as it grazed on the interesting bush.
The old man had kept his shot gun in the shack. He rarely used it. Unless he was hunting rabbits or killing damn rats. Still the size of the thing, loitering at the end of his
pen, made it seem futile. An elephant would be easier than this. As the creature stopped and stared at him and the sheep, the man realised it was covered with a huge armoured
hide. Callan half laughed, he would need a cannon for this Massive beast.

*

Part Four

The Paws

The Alice Spring police were quite alarmed at the arrival of the five students. They were covered in dust, sweat and blood. They kept babbling on about a monster in the outback.
The Chief Inspector noticed his other officers smile. Then they all looked at the cell phones. They had pictures of huge footprints in the dirt. The cops of the outback had seen
many things. This was something new, or a hoax.

The Chief took on the case himself. He soon heard of the drama at Cataract. He and more officers took the big cop car and followed the refreshed kids. Chief Barnes also informed a
dog handler to join in the search for the strange creature. The soon to be retired officer, mopped his balding head with his hand. As the late afternoon sun beamed down. The big
man cursed under his breath. He did not like working in the dark of night.

The drive took a long half hour at top cop car speed. The sun was setting at the sight of the only sign for Cataract. The home of Callan Briggs.

*

A great shadow loomed over the head of the old man. He lay forlorn outside his broken mineshaft. Lying literally on the rubble, wishing it was still open. So this living nightmare
could return to its domain. What had he done, his emotions kept telling him. After many decades and even more days, there in the middle of nowhere. There he had slept and worked
most of his lonely life.

Still he remembered his wife and children. Running around doing chores or helping out. Then, he had a full team of livestock and crew. A prosperous mine, giving out diamonds and
gold, to keep the dream alive. Then time ran out. His wife died, the children grew up and left. The mine ran dry. And his sheep were mostly sold for meat or extra stock for
other farms. Now something new had turned up. And it now stood over his shaking face.

Roo the nosy rogue, bounced to the side of his aging friend. Still trumping from having chocolate, left on a plate by those students. Roo licked Callan’s face. Beside Roo stood a
giant beast. Stuffing its face, with leaf and grass. Animals are quite ignorant at times. To Roo the big thing beside him was just another beast of the outback. Yet the ever
nervous sheep, shook with fear in the pen. Some distance from the mine, but in view of the giant. As Callan came out of his semi-coma state, he quibbled, ‘Get off, Roo.’

The man looked up as the stars began to shine and the sunlight fade. Cataract did have several large floodlights. They came on at night, in the area. The light did attract many
critters. From moths to the odd wild camel. It was also bright enough to see the sheep, the dog and Roo. The dog, at this time had run and hid. Scared stiff of what now
loitered close to its master. Human eyes focused on a great sight.

First noticed, was a foot that looked like yellow stone. The biggest paws ever seen. Then a long stocky leg of a Rhino kind of hide. This leg stem lead to a shell frame of green
squares. The hundred or so shapes were each about a foot square, then even bigger higher up. A military tank would faint at the sight of this armoured beast. Jagged red fins lined
the summit of this long form. Like huge axe blades. A long tale stretched beyond and away from the man. He forgot that, as his attention was centred on an evil eyed face.
That should be not be there.

*

The cop car speed closer to Cataract. Spreading dust into space. The cold of night took hold. In the outback, the day can be like an oven. In the depth of night, the chill
can kill. Like a thousand tiny spears. The gentle wind changes into a precise pain in the neck. Chief shrugged off the dusk. And followed the min-bus to a site of manmade
light.

There were no fences or boundaries for Cataract. It was so vast that it would cost a fortune. The odd hills marked the flatbed. It was ten miles square of shrub and tough
grassland. Okay for the hardy breed of sheep, camels and the lone kangaroo. One such creature leapt around the two vehicles. The students smiled and tried to pat Roo. The
wheeled machines had parked up by the shack and two sheep pens.

Inspector Barnes and his two constables saw no lights from inside the shanty styled abode. It was more caravan than wooden shack. The students pointed toward the distant mine. The
three men and kids trudged in gravely sand and dust. Closer to the mine the ground became rocky. They all stopped at a massive sight. Inspector Barnes did not know what to
do. There before his eyes stood the biggest dinosaur he had ever seen. And it was alive..

*

Part Five

BOOM

The giant land of dinosaurs was buried deep under the plains of the Outback. It was an impossible fact for geologists. Yet it was there. Perhaps some super being allowed it to be
so. Or the land had collapsed and devoured. Enabling life to still exist from the realm of the Trex. One thing could be for certain, the creature wanted to go back home.

Callan Brigg was lying flat out cold. As the Stegosaurus bashed away the blocked mine. Using its tail as a sledgehammer, it soon made a dent in the land. The old man had woken and
seen the scene. Something deep inside him, perhaps it is the caveman in him, moved him to help the creature. With hands and fists, the farmer worked with the animal.

It was during a rest period for both, when the police arrived. Seeing a fifty foot long monster beside a man, alarmed Chief Barnes. Had his client been crushed or worse, part
eaten. The five students and three cops were helping Callan to his feet.A quick dram of his neet gin woke the old git. The next thing to happen would be history being
made. Humans helping a dinosaur to get back home.

*

Why do humans care so much for pets or other animals? When a pet looks at you with those sad eyes. We cannot help but care. It was the same with the Stegosaur. It was
thrashing at the mine, trying to get back in. The small team moved boulders and debris. Slowly the way back in would soon be achieved.

*

A stubborn boulder refused to comply with the might of Men and beasts. Callan was out of breath. The students wiped dust from their t shirts. The cops sweated beside the ancient
giant. Roo hopped about quietly. A flash of genius or dumbfound luck, came to the mind of the old timer.

Callan wiped his hands on his dungarees. Then patted the green and blue monster. ‘Wait just there!’

The scaled Stegosaur looked with beady eyes. Nodding its massive head in some kind understanding. Maybe dinosaurs are not as dumb as expected - murmured Callan under his sighing.

Soon he returned with dynamite and some of his gin. ‘What is the brew for old man?’ intervened the Chief of Police.

‘It’s for me and to help the explosion. It is so volatile orally and as a dirty bomb. At least I hope.’

The black of night was laminated by the four floodlights. Set on twenty foot tall masts. The five teenagers stood by the mini-bus cooling down. Even though the night was cold, any
manual work caused the blood to boil. The Chief stood with his assisting officer pc Brown and dog handler PC Smith, he had left his dog behind. This was a job for his skills in dealing
with other creatures of the Outback. He did not expect to see a dinosaur.

The sound of Callan scurrying about, came closer. His arms were full of spare sticks of explosive and a keg of unsettled moonshine. The chief tutted to himself. By rights he
should confiscate the illegal brew. But the situation was too unique to use the right of law. This was all new kind of event. The odd group of beings gathered to clear the
mineshaft.

Soon everyone gathered and crouched behind the minibus. Even the mountainous Stegopaws moved closer to the humans. When it lay down the Earth shook. The students pointed out the
small gas stove in the bus. Callan smiled with fear, ‘The brew itself would more likely get us first?’

A lit fuse wire flared up in the dark depths of night. The chill was turned to boiling. Thanks to the unsettling event. Sizzling ran the to the edge of the mine entrance.
Then silence deafened the place called Cataract. ‘Boom!’ The echo and sonic effect spread like wildfire. It also caused some of the sheep to faint. A green mushroom cloud in
the discoloured the black starry landscape.

‘What happens next?’ thought Chief Barnes, to himself.

*

Part Six

UNDERWORLD

A gentle breeze flowed from the mine. Unusual senses of smell emanated from unusual plants and animals. Fruits and flowers swamped the human nostrils. Lilacs and citrus fruits of
ancient times now existed in the present day. The hole in the ground enabled the giant beast to go home. The gang of humans followed. Except for Callan. He had seen
enough. He planned to seal the mine for good. He gave the Chief and the others an hour at the most. To get back to reality.

The child in the Chief of Police could not help himself. This giant and mostly gentle creature moved into a massive cavern. With a blue red roof of rock. The new land of the lost,
housed more wonders. A red lake of fresh water cooled the realm. Yet something was missing. A vast jungle of red trees and shrub, were void of animal life. Vast chunks of
rock had collapsed from the ceiling and walls. The place was dying, along with its dinosaurs. A small pocket remained. Stegosaurs were found. Ambling to the leader
Stegopaws. Only fifty giants remained.

The students wept or frowned. The three police knew they had to do something. They were seeing the end of an eco system. There were four students with their van. Driver Jack
was a blond beach dude. Best pal was Vin a long locked surfer. They were with Cher and Bandi. Girls who looked like sisters. Brunette babes dress smart casual. All
four felt for the big dinosaurs. They looked to the Chief for help.

With Chief Barnes was his officer Dale and dog handler Steve. The dog less expert agreed to help move the massive herd. The outback would be a harsher but safer chance for life.
The city sized underworld looked to be failing. Only the mine area was alive. Plants and strange insects buzzed or grew to the hole in the earth. It lead to the only true chance
for them all. Callan Brigg was the one who could save matters. But his mind was ignorant of the true dilemma.

*

The old miser argued with himself. At the same time he walked into the mine to look for the others. ‘What have I done to deserve this hassle. Spent years alone. Just waiting
for Gabriel to take me. Or find a lump of gold. Then I could make my shack into a bonny house.’ Callan went on. Impervious to the plight of the other world. His words
dried up like the water sapping Outback.

Old eyes marvelled at a new wonderment. Yet far as the eye could see, lumps of rock fell from the 50 foot high roof. He could only imagine the desert above, crashing then burying this
lost world. Then the scar being hidden under sand and bush. No one would have known. The ground was moving but would be forgotten by ignorant people.

Callan saw several humans trying to round up the big herd. A group of Stegosaurs. The land was a brown field of grass. The big feet crushed small and large red bushes. Dust
sprayed around. The Chief looked at Callan. And shouted, ‘We got to get these boys and girls out of here. Can you help?’ Callan Brigg smiled to himself.